Wildflower Hearts

6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

D ressed in dark jeans, a leather jacket, and a gray sweater peeking out from underneath, it was clear that he had left the hospital to go home and shower.

“Mr.…” she paused. “Elias, this is a pleasant surprise.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I wasn’t sure how you’d react to me just showing up, but I thought I’d take my chances.”

“How’d you-”

“Melissa gave me your address.” He bent down to lift two plastic bags. “I brought you some lunch.”

Lyla fished her key out of her sock and ignored his amused look. “That’s nice of you.” She glanced at Mrs. Thompson’s door. “Come in, please.” She shut her door after him, clearing her throat as she placed her key on the rack. “What do I owe the honor of you buying me lunch?”

Elias shrugged and looked around her apartment. He flashed her a smile as she took one of the bags. “I figure you might be one of those people that likes to eat lunch around noon,” he chuckled when she blushed, “and partly because I thought it’d be a nice extra little thank you.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me. Dr. Moore is the one who saved your brother’s life, not me.” She kept her gaze downward, concentrating on fetching plates and silverware, aware that he followed close behind her into the kitchen close. “I’m merely the nurse who ensures your brother rests comfortably. There’s really no need to feel obligated to-”

“I said partly,” he interrupted. “I’m going to be selfish and admit I wanted to have lunch with you. I couldn’t think of a better excuse.”

She turned to grab two cups, blushing so hard she swore she felt it to the tips of her toes. Elias was a handsome man, devoted to his family, and he knew how to choose his words regarding women and what they wanted to hear. The thought made her pause. Sophomore year in college, Eric Williams had known from day one exactly what to say. All he had to do was throw her that winning smile, and she believed anything he said without hesitation. She spent two years trying to keep him happy, and it still had blown up in her face. They were too different, their goals too distant. She was heartbroken when he took a job in San Francisco, breaking up with her right before he left.

After that day, she vowed never to get involved with another man again. She chose to concentrate on what she did best: helping others. She had managed to stick to that plan for years, yet here she was, inviting a patient’s brother into her home.

“Is everything okay?”

She watched ice fill their glasses. “I’m fine, thank you. What can I get you to drink?”

“You wouldn’t happen to have beer, would you?”

“It’s nine forty-five in the morning.”

“Water is fine,” he chuckled.

Smiling, she turned back to the fridge with a shake of her head. “I don’t have any beer, so you’d be out of luck anyway.”

“Not a fan?”

She filled the glasses with water and turned to hand him one. She motioned for him to sit at the kitchen table. “I’m not a huge fan of drinking. I’ve seen too many cases at the hospital that ended in tragedy to get near the stuff.” She giggled at the expression on his face. “I just insulted a whiskey man, didn’t I?”

Elias grinned, taking the plate she extended as he grabbed a knife and fork. “No offense taken, but I enjoy beer and occasionally, something harder every once in a while.”

Lyla slid the to-go boxes from the bags, placing them on the table between them. “And you’re not worried about a beer gut?”

“My body’s in great shape. You’re a nurse. I bet you’d approve. Got a hospital gown lying around here?”

She froze until she realized he was teasing her. She blushed and reached to open the boxes. “Sorry, my imaginary boyfriend took my last one and won’t return my calls, so I can get it back.”

He laughed, watching as she caught sight of the Chinese food and inhaled, a small smile appearing on her face.

“I love Chinese food.”

“I know. I asked Melissa.”

She playfully rolled her eyes and made a mental note to threaten Melissa the second she returned to work. “Good thing you did. I would have kicked you out if you’d brought me something I didn’t like.”

“Kick me out? I’m too charming for that.”

Too strong, she wanted to correct him, but she shrugged instead, and they began to eat. She had seen the anger in his eyes when he talked with Dr. Moore. Inside Elias Kingsley lived a distraught man. She swallowed a piece of sesame chicken and chased it down with a sip of water. “How is Noah doing today?”

“Great. Dr. Stewart said he’s improved a lot on the new medication. They’re hoping he'll be awake by the end of next week.”

“That’s excellent news. Your brother is a strong man.”

“Little Brother has some fight in him, all right. A Kingsley, through and through. I won’t be surprised if he’s awake and talking by Tuesday morning.”

She took another sip of her water. “I’m pleasantly surprised to see Chief Stewart has taken such an interest in your brother. He’s usually too busy to even come down to our floor, you know how bigwigs are.”

“I think he’s curious. Noah’s doing a lot better than anyone expected. I mean, shit, I didn’t expect him to make it this far. I thought I’d lost him…” He tightened his grip on his fork, staring off into space.

“May I ask what happened?”

He directed his gaze to his plate, stabbing a piece of chicken with his fork. “He was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Was it gang-related? I mean, you could go to the police, and…”

“I’d really prefer not to talk about it. It’s hard enough as it is with having to remember it in my head.”

Lyla reached out to place her hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Elias. You don’t have to tell me.” She went silent for a few moments before she chose to speak again. “You’re not weak if you want to discuss it with a professional.”

He removed his arm and slid his chair back from the table. “I don’t need a fucking head doctor.”

“I didn’t mean to imply that you…”

“You know, maybe this was a bad idea.” Elias wiped his mouth. “I shouldn’t be doing this. I should be at the hospital next to Noah, where I belong.”

She stood at the same time as he did and reached out to grab his arm when he turned toward the door. “Wait, Elias, please.”

His body was stiff, but he allowed her to turn him, so that she could see his face.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep my boundaries.” All the training in the world never prepared a person to deal with someone who had almost lost a loved one in a tragic way. “Noah wouldn’t want you to torment yourself like this. He won’t hold it against you if you enjoy eating lunch, though he might get annoyed if you're doing it with his nurse.”

“Eating lunch, you mean?”

Lyla laughed and motioned at the table. “Stay and eat lunch. You can go to the hospital and see him as soon as you're done.”

“I’m sorry I blew up at you. You’re only trying to help.”

“It’s okay.” She sat back down and retrieved her fork. “So, what is Noah like when he’s conscious?”

Chuckling, he joined her at the table and began to tell her about his family.

It wasn’t until an hour and a half later that they finished their meal and washed the dishes. She was surprised when he insisted on helping her, but it gave her more time to ask questions about himself and his family while he dried the wet items. As expected, his childhood was filled with happiness and love. His mother had raise four boys as a single mother into honorable, respectable men who knew the true meaning of love and family. It was at that moment she no longer felt sympathy toward him. Instead, she was filled with envy.

“What happened to your mother?” She put the last dish away and turned to gaze at him. “I mean, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that. You don’t have to answer.”

He cleared his throat. “She passed away a few yes ago from cancer.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m at peace with it now.” Elias glanced at his watch. “I better get going. Noah’s probably missing me by now.”

She followed him to the door. “Thank you for lunch. It was a pleasure talking to you. I appreciate you sharing your family stories with me. It’s not often I get to know the patient personally that I’m caring for these days.”

“I enjoyed myself, too. Thanks for everything.”

She rested her hand on the doorknob. “Hope everything’s well with Noah at the hospital. I’ll be back in tomorrow at ten to check on him.” She swung open the door.

“Thanks again.” He hesitated before he leaned in, his hand finding her shoulder. He brushed his lips lightly against her cheek. “See you later.”

“Bye,” she whispered, watching him bound down the steps to his car. She stood there until he started the engine and drove down the street from view. A cough caused her to jump, and she tilted her head to see Mrs. Thompson sitting on her porch, the woman sipping lemonade as she read a book in her lap. She glanced up to catch Lyla’s gaze and winked before focusing back on her book.

Chuckling, she shut the door and leaned back against the wood with a sigh.

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

Eyebrows up, she stared at Reba in confusion. “Why? What’s up?”

“Four new patients came in this last hour. I took care of one already, and Dr. Moore is in surgery right this second.” She handed Lyla four metal folders, pointing to the one on top. “I left an Appy patient and a tough stick that you might want to look at.”

She flipped open the first file. “An Appy? Why didn’t you send him to the third floor? They handle appendicitis patients down there like common colds.”

“I can do that right away.”

“Thanks. Give Diane the tough stick. She’s good at drawing blood like a vamp.”

Reba nodded again and took both files.

“Where’s Dr. Masser? Wasn’t he supposed to be on this floor starting tonight?”

“He called out,” Reba shrugged. “Guess he’s still in Aspen with his family. Dr. Moore said he’s leaving in twenty minutes, so I guess that leaves you on the floor again.”

Lyla bit the inside of her mouth. “Alright. What patient is he with now?”

“A Virgin Abdominal. He’s about done. It’s the last folder.”

“Thank you, Reba. You did an excellent job. I appreciate it.”

“Sure thing. Anything else I can do for you?”

“No, I’m good. Go take a break.”

“I’m definitely not going to argue with that.”

Lyla approached Melissa at the nurse’s station. “How’s the Kingsley kid?”

“Kid? He’s older than you.”

She rolled her eyes playfully. “I’m aware. Come on, what’s his condition?”

“Stable. He still hasn’t woken up. Members of his family have been here off and on. They’re doing this-”

“Shift schedule. Elias told me.”

“Oh, your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

Melissa whistled under her breath with a smile. “Whatever you say, honey.”

“He’s not!”

“Fine-looking man like that could be my boyfriend any day of the week.” Nurse Alice Cook spoke up from behind Melissa. She turned from putting patient leaflets into a mailbox to wink at Lyla. “Or night for that matter.”

“You want him so bad; you can have him. He’s not my boyfriend.” She scooped up the folders and thrust them under her arm. “And I’d appreciate it if you'd not speak that way about a patient’s brother again.”

Alice and Melissa watched her march off, and they nodded at each other. “He’s her boyfriend.”

Only the lamp on the overhead above Noah's bed gave light to the room. The steady beeping of machines was the only sound that met her ears apart from his soft breathing. Lyla was surprised to find him alone.

She approached the bed and pulled a plastic chair close to it. She reached out to hold his hand. “Hi, Noah. You don’t remember me. It was a bit crazy the other day when we first met; it always is. I’m Lyla. I’m your nurse. Your family is here, and they need you to get better as soon as possible, especially your brother Elias. He sure does love to tease you a lot, but he loves you very much.” She kept her gaze on his face, watching his eyes occasionally shift behind his eyelids. “I bet you’re dreaming right now. That’s okay,” she stroked his hand, “but sooner than later, we’re going to need you to come back to us.”

“Elias says he seems to respond the most when you insult him.”

She twisted in the seat, lowering Noah’s hand back to his side, and stood as Mark entered the room. He slid his hands into his coat pockets and glanced at his brother on the bed.

“I’ve never listened to Elias’s ideas before, and I’m not going to start now.”

She nervously placed her hands behind her back. “I’m sorry. He was alone, so I thought I’d…”

“It’s perfectly fine. Noah won’t complain about a pretty girl holding his hand.”

“I’m glad to see he’s doing better.”

“Dr. Stewart said if he kept up this recovery speed, he’d be walking around in no time.”

“We can all hope so. Are you starting your shift?”

“It looks like it’s me for the rest of the night. Elias will swing by when he gets off work. Billy’s daughter has a dance recital, and Debra’s mother is in town visiting from Arizona.”

“Well, if all stays quiet, I can help you.”

“That’d be great.”

She glanced once more at Noah before offering Mark her seat. “I’m going to check on some other patients. I’ll be back shortly.”

Shortly turned into four hours. Lyla waved at a patient headed to check out and spotted Reba approaching her. “Please do not tell me there’s another patient.”

“You’re good as gold. We’ve slowed down, and it’s only two o’clock. The second floor sent us some extra help. It seems they had more clock in tonight than they thought they scheduled.”

“Good. I’m going to take my lunch. Page me if you need me. If not, I’ll find you again in about an hour.”

“Sure thing.”

She walked away, heading automatically for Noah’s room, and tapped on the door frame.

Mark was stretching his arms. “Hey, Doc.”

“I’m not a doctor, Mark.”

“The way I see it, you’re Noah’s doctor. You’ve cared for him more than any soul in this hospital.” He popped his neck and glanced at his watch. “Do you mind if I run to the house and check on Debra? She’s not answering the phone, so she either forgot to hang it up, or…”

“No, go ahead. I’m on lunch, so take your time.”

“Are you sure? I could wait till you get some food.”

“I’m okay.” She ushered him toward the door. “Be careful. It’s been snowing. The roads are slick.”

He stopped halfway outside the door. “Thanks, Lyla.”

“You’re welcome.”

She took his seat beside the bed and reached over to take his hand, threading her fingers through his. “Do you know how hard it is to hold hands with a guy that won’t squeeze his fingers? I bet you'd freak out if you woke up right now. You don’t look like the kind of guy that holds hands with a girl when he doesn’t know her name.” She tilted her head back and gazed at the ceiling. “I wish I knew what happened to you, Noah, but your brother seems pretty adamant about not talking about it. None of your brothers have.” She reached over to brush away a piece of his hair from his forehead. “That’s twice now that I’ve done,” she murmured. “A girl could get used to that kind of thing. I bet you have a girlfriend no one knows about, or maybe you have a hobby like painting. I bet you’re in a band. Are you in a band?” She studied his fingers. “Definitely in a band with these fingers. Do you play the guitar, Noah?”

She began to lean back when she felt a spasm against her thumb. She frowned, ceasing her movements to inch even closer to him. Her eyes were drawn to his hand clasped in hers. She watched, eyes wide, when his fingers curled around hers.

“Noah?” Lyla stood up from the seat, shoving it back using her foot. Blindly, she reached for his call button and squeezed the red trigger. She tossed it aside. “Noah, can you hear me?”

A wide grin spread across her face the second he squeezed her hand.

“That’s right. Come back to us.” She sat on the edge, careful not to crush his tubes or touch his side. “Come back to me, Noah. You can do it.”

“Nurse Hamilton, we saw the light.” Reba burst into the room with Diane following close behind her. “Is everything okay?”

Noah’s eyes opened at that exact moment, his mouth moving soundlessly, and she grinned down at him.

“Welcome back, Mr. Kingsley.”